Willy Mason, Hip Hatchet

[OLD-SOUL FOLK]Raised in Martha’s Vineyard by a couple of folk singers, Willy Mason has songwriting in his blood. The 28-year-old guitarist resembles a young Neil Young, in that you’d never associate such a worn-through, slow-motion, bellowing voice with someone his age. He sings like a graying philosopher, crafting astute lyrical accounts of the many social and political hang-ups inherent in today’s America. Last year, Mason released his first record in five years, Carry On, demonstrating that while the New York-based alt-country songwriter takes his sweet time, it’s always worth the wait.